Getting even

Friday

Jun 22, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 22, 2007 at 10:13 PM

KINGSTON - There are many ebbs and flows to a baseball season. Maybe there are not as many in youth baseball as there are in the Major League, but they’re still there.Just ask the Kingston American Legion Post 387 team.Post 387 ended last week losing two games, then bounced back to win two in a row Sunday and Monday.“We’ve won two in a row,” head coach Jon Seip said. “Hopefully we can keep that going.”Kingston lost to Rockland last Wednesday, 11-1 by mercy rule, a game in which Seip said they played poorly and committed six errors.

Peter Shanley

KINGSTON - There are many ebbs and flows to a baseball season. Maybe there are not as many in youth baseball as there are in the Major League, but they’re still there.Just ask the Kingston American Legion Post 387 team.Post 387 ended last week losing two games, then bounced back to win two in a row Sunday and Monday.“We’ve won two in a row,” head coach Jon Seip said. “Hopefully we can keep that going.”Kingston lost to Rockland last Wednesday, 11-1 by mercy rule, a game in which Seip said they played poorly and committed six errors. “You can’t win when you play like that,” Seip said.The squad’s play improved the next day when it took on Bridgewater, but the outcome was not different. Post 387 lost, 4-1.In the game, Chris Ballerini (Silver Lake) pitched four innings, gave up four runs (three earned), and struck out three batters.“He pitched well,” Seip said of Ballerini. “He threw strikes.”Kingston’s lone run came when Jason Hutchinson (Silver Lake) hit an inside-the-park home run.Seip said that the opportunities for more offense were there, but they couldn’t find the gaps. “We were hitting shots, but we were hitting right at their guys. It was one of those games in which you just throw up your hands.”Kingston’s fortunes took a dramatic turn its next game when it faced-off against Abington.Post 387 went on an offensive blitz beating Abington, 11-1, in five innings this time turning the table with a mercy rule of its own. “They played a good game,” Seip said. “They did a nice job as a team. It was a nice team win.”In the game, Will Costa (Carver) pitched five innings, striking out five while giving up only four hits.On the offensive side, Nathan Woods (Silver Lake) went 3-for-3 (RBI, three runs scored), Dave Gay (Silver Lake) went 1-for-3 (4 RBI), and Hutchinson went 2-for-4 (2 RBI).After routing Abington, the squad went on the road to Stonehill where it beat Hawkeye, 7-5, in a dramatic game.Hawkeye got out to the early 1-0 lead, but Post 387 responded in the fourth inning.Hutchinson singled, and then Gay walked to put runners on first and second. Rob Rozzi (Pembroke) followed with a singled driving Hutchinson in and tying the score at one apiece.Hawkeye retook the lead 3-1 and had it until the top of the fifth inning.Brendan Mahoney (Carver) started the inning off with a single and Hutchinson walked. Gay doubled both runners home to tie the game. Rozzi followed with a double driving in Gay to give Kingston the 4-3 lead.Post 387 added another run in the top of the sixth inning when Brian Weber (Silver Lake) tripled and then scored on a Mahoney sacrifice fly.Hawkeye scored once in the bottom of the sixth inning and added another in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5.The score remained tied until the top of the ninth inning.Woods walked to start the inning and came home when Hutchinson doubled to right center. Moments later, Hutchinson scored from third on a passed ball.Post 387 was able to close out Hawkeye in the bottom of the inning for the 7-5 victory. “It’s nice,” Seip said about the victory. “We’re 3-3 and back to .500.”Seip went on to praise his players who have been playing without some of their teammates who have been on vacation.“They don’t quit,” Seip said. “If I ask a kid to play out of position, he does it. They step it up. There is not quit in them.”